Holiday fire safety tips

What are some holiday fire prevention tips?

Every year there are thousands of reports of falls from ladders while stringing lights and hanging decorations, incidents of lacerations from broken glass ornaments and other holiday-related injuries. The Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) reminds consumers of the dangers that can happen during the holidays. Emergency rooms treated an estimated 14,700 holiday decorating related injuries in 2016 - an average of about 240 injuries per day in November and December! Between 2012 and 2014, there was an average of 10 deaths and $15.7 million in property loss that were related to Christmas tree fires. During that same time period, an average of 10 deaths and $42.2 million in property loss occurred as a result of fires related to candles.

“Make sure your live Christmas tree has plenty of water, keep lit candles away from flammable items, and use caution when standing on a ladder or a chair to hang decorations” said CPSC Acting Chairman Ann Mari Buerkle.

Have a fantastic holiday season by following some simple holiday fire safety tips. Happy Holidays!

How to prevent Christmas tree fire hazards

Ensure that your live tree is fresh - nobody likes a burning Christmas tree! The needles should be hard to pull from the branches and don’t break when bent between your fingers. The bottom of the trunk should be sticky with resin. If you tap the tree on the ground, few needles should fall off.

Keep the tree away from heat sources such as fireplaces, vents and radiators.

Be sure to check the water level daily and make sure the stand is filled with water. Heated rooms will quickly dry out the tree.

Practice Christmas tree safety by placing the tree out of traffic and make sure it’s not blocking doorways.

If you buy an artificial tree, be sure to look for the “Fire Resistant” label. The label doesn’t guarantee the tree won’t catch on fire, but it does indicate the tree is more resistant to catching on fire.

How to avoid candle fires

Only burn candles where you can keep an eye on them.

When you go to bed, leave the room or leave the house, extinguish all candles.

Ensure candles are placed on heat resistant, stable surfaces and where kids and pets can’t reach them or knock them over.

Candles should always be placed far away from items that could catch fire and burn easily, such as trees, decorations, curtains and furniture.

How do you avoid electrical fires?

Practice Christmas light safety by buying your lights from reputable retailers. Check that your lights are approved by a nationally recognized testing lab such as UL, Intertek or CSA. UL identifies products meeting safety requirement for indoor and outdoor use with a red holographic label. For indoor only usage, the product will have a green holographic label.

Be sure to check all lights and throw out any that have broken or cracked sockets, frayed or bare wires, or any loose connections.

Never use electric lights on metallic trees.

Make sure to use extension cords for their intended use - indoors, outdoors or both.

Be sure to plug outdoor Christmas lights in to circuits that are protected by Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs).

Fasten outdoor lights securely to the house, trees or other supports to keep them from pulling away with the wind. But don’t damage the cord with fasteners. Take care not to puncture roofing shingles when fastening lights to the home.

Watch for water and snow and keep both extension cords and lights clear of them.

Make sure cords and light strands are not pinched in doors, windows or under furniture. This can damage the cord and its insulation.

When you leave home or go to bed, be sure to turn off all indoor and outdoor Christmas lights and electrical decorations.

Be very careful around power lines - keep yourself and your equipment at least 10 feet away from them.

Don’t overload electrical outlets with too many decorations or other electrical devices - they could overheat and cause a fire.

Is your fireplace ready for the holidays?

Have your fireplace inspected to see if it needs cleaning before using it through the holidays.

Be sure to keep a screen on the fireplace to prevent embers from popping out and landing on the floor or carpet.

Don’t burn wrapping paper in the fireplace. The paper ignites quickly and burns intensely and could result in a flash fire. Only used seasoned wood.

Be careful with “fire salts” which produce colored flames when thrown on wood fires. If swallowed, they can cause vomiting. They also contain heavy metals that can cause gastrointestinal irritation.

Additional Safety Tips for Decorating This Holiday Season

Fires are just one area of safety to think about during the holiday season. Decorating can also be something that can cause injuries.

If there are small children in the home, take special care to avoid heavy, sharp or breakable decorations. And be sure children can’t reach decorations with small removable parts that can be swallowed or inhaled. Don’t tempt children with decorations that resemble candy or food that they might try to eat.

Check ladders for loose or missing screws, hinges, bolts and nuts before you use them.

When decorating outside, use wooden or fiberglass ladders. Metal ladders can conduct electricity.

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The information in this article was obtained from various sources not associated with State Farm®. While we believe it to be reliable and accurate, we do not warrant the accuracy or reliability of the information. These suggestions are not a complete list of every loss control measure. The information is not intended to replace manuals or instructions provided by the manufacturer or the advice of a qualified professional. Nor is it intended to effect coverage under our policy. State Farm makes no guarantees of results from use of this information.